Dose effect in child psychotherapy: Outcomes associated with negligible treatment

Objective: To compare the outcomes of children who received negligible amou nts of outpatient treatment to children receiving more treatment. Method: A random regression longitudinal model was used to analyze outcomes of child ren (aged 5-17 years) from the Fort Bragg Evaluation Project. Results: In e xamining several outcomes, the results show no statistically significant do se effect. Conclusions: Children receiving substantial amounts of treatment showed no better mental health outcomes than those receiving negligible am ounts of treatment. The results do not support the existence of a dose effe ct consistent enough to guide clinicians, administrators, or policymakers.